The Canterbury Tales · The Prologue (3/3)

He was a gentle harlot225 and a kind;

A better fellów should a man not find.

He wouldë suffer, for a quart of wine,

A good fellow to have his concubine

A twelvemonth, and excuse him at the full.

Full privily a finch eke could he pull.226

And if he found owhere227 a good felláw,

He wouldë teachë him to have none awe

In such a case of the archdeacon’s curse;

But if228 a mannë’s soul were in his purse;

For in his purse he should y-punished be.

“Purse is the archëdeacon’s hell,” said he.

But well I wot, he lied right indeed:

Of cursing ought each guilty man to dread,

For curse will slay right as assoiling229 saveth;

And also ’ware him of a significavit.230

In danger had he at his owen guise231

The youngë girlës of the diocese,

And knew their counsel, and was of their rede.232

A garland had he set upon his head,

As great as it were for an alëstake:233

A buckler had he made him of a cake.

With him there rode a gentle Pardonere234

Of Ronceval, his friend and his compere,

That straight was comen from the court of Romë.

Full loud he sang, “Come hither, lovë, tó me.”

This Sompnour bare to him a stiff burdoun,235

Was never trump of half so great a soun’.

This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax,

But smooth it hung, as doth a strike236 of flax:

By ounces hung his lockës that he had,

And therewith he his shoulders oversprad.

Full thin it lay, by culpons237 one and one,

But hood for jollity, he weared none,

For it was trussed up in his wallét.

Him thought he rode all of the newë get,238

Dishevel, save his cap, he rode all bare.

Such glaring eyen had he, as an hare.

A vernicle239 had he sew’d upon his cap.

His wallët lay before him in his lap,

Bretful240 of pardon come from Rome all hot.

A voice he had as small as hath a goat.

No beard had he, nor ever one should have.

As smooth it was as it were new y-shave;

I trow he were a gelding or a mare.

But of his craft, from Berwick unto Ware,

Ne was there such another pardonere.

For in his mail241 he had a pillowbere,242

Which, as he saidë, was our Lady’s veil:

He said, he had a gobbet243 of the sail

That Saintë Peter had, when that he went

Upon the sea, till Jesus Christ him hent.244

He had a cross of latoun245 full of stones,

And in a glass he haddë piggë’s bones.

But with these relics, whennë that he fond

A poorë parson dwelling upon lond,

Upon a day he got him more money

Than that the parson got in moneths tway;

And thus with feigned flattering and japes,246

He made the parson and the people his apes.

But truëly to tellen at the last,

He was in church a noble ecclesiast.

Well could he read a lesson or a story,

But alderbest247 he sang an offertóry:248

For well he wistë, when that song was sung,

He mustë preach, and well afile his tongue,249

To winnë silver, as he right well could:

Therefore he sang full merrily and loud.

Now have I told you shortly in a clause

Th’ estate, th’ array, the number, and eke the cause

Why that assembled was this company

In Southwark at this gentle hostelry,

That hightë the Tabard, fast by the Bell.250

But now is timë to you for to tell

How that we baren us that ilkë night,251

When we were in that hostelry alight.

And after will I tell of our voyáge,

And all the remnant of our pilgrimage.

But first I pray you of your courtesy,

That ye arette it not my villainy,252

Though that I plainly speak in this mattére.

To tellen you their wordës and their cheer;

Not though I speak their wordës properly.

For this ye knowen all so well as I,

Whoso shall tell a tale after a man,

He must rehearse, as nigh as ever he can,

Every word, if it be in his charge,

All speak he253 ne’er so rudely and so large;

Or ellës he must tell his tale untrue,

Or feignë things, or findë wordës new.

He may not spare, although he were his brother;

He must as well say one word as another.

Christ spake Himself full broad in Holy Writ,

And well ye wot no villainy is it.

Eke Plato saith, whoso that can him read,

The wordës must be cousin to the deed.

Also I pray you to forgive it me,

All have I254 not set folk in their degree,

Here in this tale, as that they shoulden stand:

My wit is short, ye may well understand.

Great cheerë made our Host us every one,

And to the supper set he us anon:

And served us with victual of the best.

Strong was the wine, and well to drink us lest.255

A seemly man Our Hostë was withal

For to have been a marshal in an hall.

A largë man he was with eyen steep,256

A fairer burgess is there none in Cheap:257

Bold of his speech, and wise and well y-taught,

And of manhoodë lacked him right naught.

Eke thereto was he right a merry man,

And after supper playen he began,

And spake of mirth amongës other things,

When that we haddë made our reckonings;

And saidë thus; “Now, lordingës, truly

Ye be to me welcome right heartily:

For by my troth, if that I shall not lie,

I saw not this year such a company

At once in this herberow,258 as is now.

Fain would I do you mirth, an259 I wist how.

And of a mirth I am right now bethought.

To do you ease,260 and it shall costë nought.

Ye go to Canterbury; God you speed,

The blissful Martyr quitë you your meed;

And well I wot, as ye go by the way,

Ye shapen you261 to talken and to play:

For truëly comfórt nor mirth is none

To ridë by the way as dumb as stone:

And therefore would I makë you disport,

As I said erst, and do you some comfórt.

And if you liketh all262 by one assent

Now for to standen at my judgëment,

And for to worken as I shall you say

To-morrow, when ye riden on the way,

Now by my father’s soulë that is dead,

But ye be merry, smiteth off263 mine head.

Hold up your hands withoutë morë speech.”

Our counsel was not longë for to seech:264

Us thought it was not worth to make it wise,265

And granted him withoutë more avise,266

And bade him say his verdict, as him lest.

“Lordings (quoth he), now hearken for the best;

But take it not, I pray you, in disdain;

This is the point, to speak it plat267 and plain.

That each of you, to shorten with your way

In this voyáge, shall tellen talës tway,

To Canterbury-ward, I mean it so,

And homeward he shall tellen other two,

Of aventúres that whilom have befall.

And which of you that bear’th him best of all,

That is to say, that telleth in this case

Talës of best senténce and most solace,

Shall have a supper at your allër cost268

Here in this placë, sitting by this post,

When that ye come again from Canterbury.

And for to makë you the morë merry,

I will myselfë gladly with you ride,

Right at mine owen cost, and be your guide.

And whoso will my judgëment withsay,

Shall pay for all we spenden by the way.

And if ye vouchësafe that it be so,

Tell me anon withoutë wordës mo’,269

And I will early shapë me therefore.”

This thing was granted, and our oath we swore

With full glad heart, and prayed him also,

That he would vouchësafe for to do so,

And that he wouldë be our governour,

And of our talës judge and reportour,

And set a supper at a certain price;

And we will ruled be at his device,

In high and low: and thus by one assent,

We be accorded to his judgëment.

And thereupon the wine was fet270 anon.

We drunken, and to restë went each one,

Withouten any longer tarrying

A-morrow, when the day began to spring,

Up rose our host, and was our allër cock,271

And gather’d us together in a flock,

And forth we ridden all a little space,

Unto the watering of Saint Thomas:272

And there our host began his horse arrest,

And saidë; “Lordës, hearken if you lest.

Ye weet your forword,273 and I it record.

If evensong and morning-song accord,

Let see now who shall tellë the first tale.

As ever may I drinkë wine or ale,

Whoso is rebel to my judgëment,

Shall pay for all that by the way is spent.

Now draw ye cuts, ere that ye farther twin.274

He which that hath the shortest shall begin.”

“Sir Knight (quoth he), my master and my lord,

Now draw the cut, for that is mine accord.

Come near (quoth he), my Lady Prioress,

And ye, Sir Clerk, let be your shamefastness,

Nor study not: lay hand to, every man.”

Anon to drawen every wight began,

And shortly for to tellen as it was,

Were it by áventure, or sort, or cas,275

The sooth is this, the cut fell to the Knight,

Of which full blithe and glad was every wight;

And tell he must his tale as was reasón,

By forword, and by composition,

As ye have heard; what needeth wordës mo’?

And when this good man saw that it was so,

As he that wise was and obediént

To keep his forword by his free assent,

He said; “Sithen276 I shall begin this game,

Why, welcome be the cut in Goddë’s name.

Now let us ride, and hearken what I say.”

And with that word we ridden forth our way;

And he began with right a merry cheer

His tale anon, and said as ye shall hear.